Ogun Begins Remediation Exercise in Ogijo Over Alleged Lead Poisoning
The Ogun State Government has commenced a comprehensive environmental remediation exercise in Ogijo following allegations of lead poisoning in the industrial community.
The intervention follows a detailed process audit of all Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling facilities in the area, as well as extensive tests conducted on soil, water, air, and the blood samples of residents to assess the extent of possible lead contamination.
Flagging off the exercise, the General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), Hon. Kehinde Bello, said the state government had begun evacuating slag illegally dumped in several communities around Ogijo due to its hazardous nature.
According to Bello, the removal of the waste is aimed at protecting residents, many of whom were unaware of the dangers posed by the contaminated materials.
"The evacuation of this slag will take us weeks to complete because large quantities were illegally dumped in several communities surrounding the ULAB facilities. The state government is committed to removing them in the overall public interest and for the well-being of residents," he said.
He assured residents that the era of indiscriminate dumping of slag had come to an end, noting that the government had directed all ULAB operators in the state to upgrade their operations by installing automatic battery breakers to significantly reduce slag generation.
Bello added that the facilities had also been instructed to strictly comply with the state's newly introduced standard operating procedures for slag management.
Also speaking, the Director of Hazardous Material Management at OGEPA, Mr. Babatunde Lawal, disclosed that the remediation programme would go beyond the evacuation of hazardous waste.
Lawal explained that the agency would embark on a bio-remediation exercise involving the planting of vegetation capable of absorbing lead from contaminated soil, thereby restoring areas where slag had been removed.
He urged operators of ULAB facilities to conduct their activities responsibly and sustainably in order to safeguard public health and protect the environment.
Similarly, the Director of Inspectorate and Compliance at OGEPA, Mr. Tunde Bolarinwa, said the agency would intensify monitoring of ULAB facilities to ensure strict compliance with the state's revised operational guidelines.
He warned that any facility found violating the new environmental standards would face appropriate sanctions in accordance with the law.
